Podcasts about american enough

The whole underlying point of this podcast is that we are always stuck feeling not Asian enough while simultaneously feeling not American enough. Today we get a bit deeper into the why (plus a lot of tangents). Lingjie gets upset at other parents. Ben googles his last name. Come listen to The Worst Asian Podcast. https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/mayor/maui-recovery-assistance https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/maui-strong-fund ------------------------------------------- FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE @WorstAsianPod ► WEBSITE: www.worstasianpod.com ► INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/worstasianpod ► FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/worstasianpod ► TWITTER: www.twitter.com/worstasianpod ► TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@worstasianpod ► YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3Agv8Aj ► EMAIL: WorstAsianPodcast@Gmail.com ------------------------------------------- SUPPORT US ► SUBSCRIPTION: On the Apple Podcast App or Spotify App This subscription gives you exclusive access to monthly bonus full episodes & shows general support for the podcast. These bonus eps will be more personal & include misc fun ideas that we've had but wouldn't work as regular eps. - Subscribe on Apple Podcast app: Click the "subscribe" box on the main page of this podcast - Subscribe on Spotify app: Click the "want to hear more from this" box on the main page of this podcast.  But the app is buggy so if that box doesn't show up than go to www.anchor.fm/worstasian/subscribe ► DONATION: www.buymeacoffee.com/worstasian We're doing it listeners, we're begging for money. Ben and Lingjie will continue to pump out that free content weekly but in case you feel inclined, we are accepting donations to help cover the costs of running the podcast. You get absolutely nothing extra out of this donation. No zoom chats, no bonus material, nada, zilch, zero. Just our gratitude. Please leave your social handle so we can thank you personally. Love you and thanks for listening! 감사합니다 & 谢谢你. PS: If you're a baller and donate $100 or more, we'll bring you on a future episode to join us for a segment of Ranting and Raving. Not joking, this is a real offer. Get your rant game ready :). ------------------------------------------- #asianamerican #asian #asians #podcast #asiancomedy #asianmillennials #proudtobeasian #asianpride #asiancommunity #representationmatters #asianrepresentation #asianculture #asianlife #aapi #funny #comedy #flushing #asianmemes #yappie #asianmen #asianboy #asianguy #asiannews #asianstyle #millennials #stopasianhate #Asianqualifiers #veryasian #asianpopculture #asianexcellence #japan #japanese #korea #korean #kpop #china #chinese #chinatown #koreatown #ktown #ctown

It's Thanksgiving week, and today we're asking the question of what it means to be "American." It means something different to everyone. LAist's new series, "Being American,"  is exploring different meanings through reader essays submitted by Angelenos of all backgrounds. HTLA host Brian De Los Santos is talking to LAist's Immigrant Communities Correspondent Leslie Berestein Rojas, who is overseeing the project.  Check out the series here: https://laist.com/news/essays/tell-us-your-american-story

Hour 4: In the last hour of Marc's birthday show, Marc, Carl and Sean discuss who is the most popular political figure in the country, according to a poll by Harvard. Then, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Brad Thor, calls in to tell us about his book, Rising Tiger, which was released today. After that, Senior Legal Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, Thomas Jipping, gives us a call. Later, we have one more special guest for Marc on his special day.

Daily Dad Jokes (14 Jun 2022) Hello everyone, you can now submit your own dad jokes to my voicemail, with the best ones to be included in upcoming episodes on this podcast. Just leave your name, the city and state you live in, and your best Dad Joke. Call (978) 393-1076. Look forward to hearing from you! Do you like triva quizzes? Then check out my other podcast, The Daily Quiz Show, where I give you 10 questions to test your mettle. Each day brings a new category - Sports; Science; Art and Literature; Movies, TV and Celebrities; Music; and History. The Daily Quiz Show - Spotify The Daily Quiz Show - Apple Podcasts Looking for a perfect gift for your Dad Joke? Get our "Dad Joke University" merch on Amazon! Click here to browse Get Daily Dad Jokes Premium, an ad-free version of this podcast. Breeze into the next level, be cool, and become a big fan of ours for just $5 per month for ad-free listening. Subscribe here on Supercast. Jokes sourced and curated from reddit.com/r/dadjokes. Joke credits: clitsdontexist, VERBERD, VERBERD, Specialist64, Dadpool2420, Specialist64, RavioliGod520, kevindavis338, EmbodimentOfAllEvil, SpikeFlings, Woodkid2791, tonypants, slick683 Do you have trouble getting to sleep? If so, try my other podcast, Sleepytime Nonsense Stories. It's a series of stories with no plotline set to calming music, designed to get you slowly drifting off to sleep. Search for Sleepytime Nonsense Stories on Spotify and Apple Podcasts today. Subscribe to this podcast via: Spotify iTunes Google Podcasts Youtube Channel Social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter Tik Tok Discord Interested in advertising or sponsoring our show with +30k daily streams? Contact us at mediasales@klassicstudios.com Produced by Klassic Studios using AutoGen Podcast technology (http://klassicstudios.com/autogen-podcasts/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daily Dad Jokes (14 Jun 2022) Hello everyone, you can now submit your own dad jokes to my voicemail, with the best ones to be included in upcoming episodes on this podcast. Just leave your name, the city and state you live in, and your best Dad Joke. Call (978) 393-1076. Look forward to hearing from you! Do you like triva quizzes? Then check out my other podcast, The Daily Quiz Show, where I give you 10 questions to test your mettle. Each day brings a new category - Sports; Science; Art and Literature; Movies, TV and Celebrities; Music; and History. The Daily Quiz Show - Spotify The Daily Quiz Show - Apple Podcasts Looking for a perfect gift for your Dad Joke? Get our "Dad Joke University" merch on Amazon! Click here to browse Get Daily Dad Jokes Premium, an ad-free version of this podcast. Breeze into the next level, be cool, and become a big fan of ours for just $5 per month for ad-free listening. Subscribe here on Supercast. Jokes sourced and curated from reddit.com/r/dadjokes. Joke credits: clitsdontexist, VERBERD, VERBERD, Specialist64, Dadpool2420, Specialist64, RavioliGod520, kevindavis338, EmbodimentOfAllEvil, SpikeFlings, Woodkid2791, tonypants, slick683 Do you have trouble getting to sleep? If so, try my other podcast, Sleepytime Nonsense Stories. It's a series of stories with no plotline set to calming music, designed to get you slowly drifting off to sleep. Search for Sleepytime Nonsense Stories on Spotify and Apple Podcasts today. Subscribe to this podcast via: Spotify iTunes Google Podcasts Youtube Channel Social media: Instagram Facebook Twitter Tik Tok Discord Interested in advertising or sponsoring our show with +30k daily streams? Contact us at mediasales@klassicstudios.com Produced by Klassic Studios using AutoGen Podcast technology (http://klassicstudios.com/autogen-podcasts/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stereotypes. Colorism. Racism.  In this special episode, Grasie Mercedes curates a collection of powerful and moving moments of feeling Not Latinx or American Enough. Each clip is pulled from a full conversation over two full seasons of guests sharing their truth on Not Blank Enough. EPISODES:  e014: Not Patient Enough, Michael Trevino e035: Not Dominican Enough, Rocio Mendez & Mercedes Ilarraza e008: Not Latinx Enough, Carlos Santos & Raiza Licea e039: Not Late Enough, Julissa Contreras e022: Not Disabled Enough, Danielle Perez e016: Not Smart Enough, Bobak Ferdowsi e038: Not Doing Enough, Nico Santos e036: Not American Enough, Chriselle Lim e037: Not Indian Enough, Parvesh Cheenae018: Not Perfect Enough, Sazan Hendrix THE SHOW: Please rate and review the show on iTunes. It really helps the show grow and be discovered. Follow NOT (BLANK) ENOUGH on Instagram @notblankenoughpod Check out our playlist on YouTube You can contact us at NotBlankEnough@gmail.com © 2021 Gumption Pictures

Will and Norm discuss the challenges of finding investment from Hollywood for their independent Kung Fu film and changing the status quo of making it on your own with the writer/director and producer of The Paper Tigers movie, Bao Tran and Al'n Duong. Listeners are invited to support our Patreon for special features and early access to the podcast here: www.patreon.com/oldkidproductions Check out the Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/lucky-boys-store Check out the video version of the podcast at youtube.com/luckyboyspodcast You can follow Lucky Boys Podcast on Instagram @luckyboyspodcast, Will Hue @iamwillhue, Norm Lam @nlam25 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/luckyboys/support

The #1 Donald Trump Impersonator in the World, John Di Domenico, talks with "American Enough" podcast host Vikrum Aiyeron about how comedy, satire, and late night TV is dividing, uniting, and trolling America. John is an American, Emmy Nominated, Actor, Writer, Comedian and Impersonator, he performs many different characters and is best known for his award-winning Donald Trump impersonation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Appearances, American in Korea, YouTube beginnings, and the thoughtful and emotional journey leading to creating her company bümo are all discussed in Korean-American mom and content creator Chriselle Lim’s conversation with Grasie that they titled, Not American Enough. OUR GUEST:  IG: @chrisellelim Twitter: @CHRISELLEtweets Facebook: Chriselle Lim Pinterest: @chrisellelim TikTok: chrisellelim YouTube: Chriselle Lim Website: The Chriselle Factor bümo Website: https://bumoparent.com/ THE SHOW: Please rate and review the show on iTunes. It really helps the show grow and be discovered. Follow NOT (BLANK) ENOUGH on Instagram You can contact us at NotBlankEnough@gmail.com © 2021 Gumption Pictures

For today's Barbershop Talk, Leo and I talk about our experience being Asian American in America. As a result of the #StopAsianHate movement, many Asian Americans have been sharing their experiences on what it's like to be Asian in America, so we decided to share our own experience for today's podcast. In this episode, we discuss:- Our Asian names- Being embarrassed about our names- Mike learning about the meaning behind his name- Mike talks about his experience being bullied- Being called "chino" in middle school - Being the only Asian at school- Having a hard time being proud of your ethnicity because we don't know our history in America- Leo facing discrimination - Leo growing up in an ethnically diverse environment- Dealing with ABC vs. Immigrants - Understanding the importance of unity, especially now- Experience being Asian in the workplace - Having a chip on our shoulders motivated us to become better- Why a majority of Asians take backend jobs- Is Chinese food American as Pizza?

Minari a Foreign Film, Three Korean American Women inducted to the U.S House of Reps, and the future outlook for Asian Americans.

Media analyst Robyn Caplan talked about how politicians are engaging in debate as to whether platforms will follow rules and norms of the US or elsewhere, given that they operate globally. There's concerns about whether this could lead to tech companies playing to the lowest common denominators rather than American values—for ex, Europe has more of an investment in freedom FROM speech than we do and, since the First Amendment is not a protected right for private companies, conservative politicians have expressed concerns about free speech being undercut. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nextgenpolitics/message

In this episode, Giancarlo and Isabel set forth their own definitions of “American." This week's hot take: Your phone is for your eyes only, not your partners! As per Isabel's American Studies class, she explains to Giancarlo why Paul Bunyan is the genesis of the ideal American hero. They trace its manifestation in society today, and reveal the pressures that they felt trying to fit in. Alternatively, the couple explains what it's like to be “too American” for ethnic minority families. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

2Hard2Fast on Worm Getting A Rona Test, College Frat Parties, Growing Up Not Being Mexican or American Enough in a Border Town; More Mexican than Mexicans and More American than Americans. We also tried something weird posting our Zoom info and seeing who jumps on the 2H2F Podcast to go 2Hard2Fast. Also Beer Review as usual. Follow Jorge on Instagram: @WeirdJorge 2H2F on Twitter: @2Hard2FastPod Remember you can be part of the conversation by tweeting or sending video message topics or questions @2Hard2FastPod or email us at 2Hard2FastPodcast@gmail.com. We may put you on the show! A light-hearted, thought-provoking comedic podcast with strong opinions about topics we may or may not know too much about in order to broaden perspectives (kinda like when you argue with your best friend about random things). We are breaking our audio podcast into Video parts and posting Tuesdays and Thursdays. We appreciate your support and would love to hear from you! Reach us with your questions, comments, or video messages at: Twitter: @2Hard2FastPod Email: 2Hard2FastPodcast@gmail.com Let us hear from YOU --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/2hard2fastpodcast/support

We discuss the cases of former American high-ranking foreign policy official Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, who was allegedly demoted over her Iranian roots, and US Army lieutenant colonel Alexander Vindman whose loyalty to the US is questioned by some in the Republican party because he was born in the former Soviet Union.

This is Life with Lisa Ling is an investigative docuseries on CNN. Lisa Ling, award-winning journalist and author, immerses herself in extraordinary, unusual, and sometimes dangerous communities across America . What she has learned over several seasons as an executive producer and host has profoundly changes her as a person, as a mother, and perhaps even as an American. Lisa sits with MouthMedia Network co-founder Marc Raco for a special interview, in which she reveals how the stories that her show covers have impacted her and her production team, and what she’s learned about America and the country’s changing identity from the people, communities and remarkable stories shared on the series. Lisa gives a glimpse into one of the stories from the upcoming season of "This Is Life with Lisa Ling", and why it struck a nerve, and about a big decision she had to make when Hillary Clinton didn’t win the presidency. Plus, what "This Is Life with Lisa Ling" has to do with Lisa seeing herself as "American enough". This episode was originally published on the podcast "American Enough".

This is Life with Lisa Ling is an investigative docuseries on CNN. Lisa Ling, award-winning journalist and author, immerses herself in extraordinary, unusual, and sometimes dangerous communities across America . What she has learned over several seasons as an executive producer and host has profoundly changes her as a person, as a mother, and perhaps even as an American. Lisa sits with MouthMedia Network co-founder Marc Raco for a special interview, in which she reveals how the stories that her show covers have impacted her and her production team, and what she’s learned about America and the country’s changing identity from the people, communities and remarkable stories shared on the series. Lisa gives a glimpse into one of the stories from the upcoming season of "This Is Life with Lisa Ling", and why it struck a nerve, and about a big decision she had to make when Hillary Clinton didn’t win the presidency. Plus, what "This Is Life with Lisa Ling" has to do with Lisa seeing herself as "American enough".

A Mexican, a white and two blacks do a podcast.... this week's Duel is Round Table discussion about how American are you? We welcome our guest Anne V. from Los Angeles, she’s a Mexican American, sort of, sometimes, well she's figuring that out. We talk about cultural identity, gender identify, code switching, passing and prostitution whores.Follow our Duel Cast:T.R. Simms (iamtrsimms)Am Frasier (amuveau)Josh Scott (thewelshy)Guest:Anne V. (annescartwheels)This week's episode is sponsored by Oolagah Lake Publishing, publisher of the political thriller "The Last Romanian" by T.R. Simms. Available on Amazon!https://amzn.to/2WsBGsi

Weighing in on Trumps twitter attack on LeBron James Check out Aaron Dodson's article on Michael Jordan's charitable efforts. https://theundefeated.com/features/jordan-brand-wings-program-scholarship-full-ride-education-nike/

Mom, Wife, and former foreign policy advisor to the Secretary of State jumps into a race for Congress… Lauren Baer joins the pod to reflect on what it means to be a candidate for office at a time where political divisions are at an all time high, and trust for Congress is at a new low.Lauren Baer was raised in Florida’s 18th Congressional District and calls Palm Beach Gardens home. An attorney and foreign policy expert, Lauren served as an official in the Obama Administration from 2011-2017, acting as a senior advisor to two Secretaries of State and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Lauren holds a B.A. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and an MPhil from the University of Oxford, where she was a Marshall Scholar. She is also a proud graduate of Palm Beach County public schools, where she earned recognition as a valedictorian of Suncoast Community High School.Lauren currently works as a consultant for Albright Stonebridge Group, the global strategy firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She and her wife Emily are active athletes who enjoy tennis, distance running, and spending time outdoors with their young daughter, Serena, and their dog, Biscuit.“American Enough” and MouthMedia Network do not necessarily support nor endorse any specific candidate for elected office.

When Americans vote, many positions on the ballot don’t even make sense to us. A superintendent? A comptroller? However vague they may sound, these “down-ballot” posts can sway everything from the lunch your kids eat at school to the way the subway system runs. New York State candidate for Comptroller Jonathan Trichter joins “American Enough” to tell us what the hell a comptroller is and why he suited up as a Republican to change the game.BIO: Jonathan Trichter is an investment banker and expert in public pensions and public finance. He has worked for J.P. Morgan, the restructuring firm MAEVA Group LLC and served on underwriting teams for the largest municipal bond issuers in the country. His work has helped state and local governments identify major long-term liabilities that were previously unaccounted for. Active in New York government, policy and civic causes for decades, Jonathan spent his early career in New York City government and on political campaigns. He worked for the New York Public Interest Group both in high school and through college. At J.P. Morgan, Jonathan covered the Office of New York State Comptroller and put together a complete directory of New York’s outstanding bonds to provide the details of the State’s debt profile for the incoming Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli. In 2010, Jonathan served as policy director on Harry Wilson’s campaign for New York State Comptroller. His work included researching and contributing to white papers on the New York State’s pension system that were covered extensively by the media and helped earn Mr. Wilson the endorsement of every major newspaper in the State, including The New York Times. Jonathan went on to work for Mr. Wilson’s restructuring firm, MAEVA, where he was a key leader on the largest out-of-court pension consent process in a corporate restructuring in recent years for a private sector workout. He later ran a municipal restructuring subsidiary of MAEVA, which was tapped by the Pew Charitable Trusts to work on public pension restructurings across the county. In this capacity, Jonathan helped lead some of the most meaningful pension reforms implemented by cities and states at that time. In Jacksonville, Florida he worked with Mayor Alvin Brown and the Police and Fire unions to restructure one of the most distressed public-safety pensions in the country; the work ultimately preserved the system’s defined benefit status via a consensual solution that saved the city $1.5 billion while funding the pension plan in a reasonable period without major benefit cuts to its members. Jonathan spent 2014 working for a venture capital firm owned by his wife’s family. There he managed a digital media startup, serving as its President in preparation for a key round of financing. With his background in communications, Jonathan took monthly traffic from under 2 million “uniques” per month to over 7 million in just 60 days. Afterwards, he worked directly with the VC firm’s chairman on a successful Series A, in which Discovery Communications led the round along with participation from Softbank, RRE Ventures, Greycroft Partners and Sterling. In 2015, Jonathan returned to MAEVA as a principal. Jonathan has published numerous articles and op-eds in The New York Times, The New York Post, The Daily News and others. His commentary has appeared on local news and national networks. He served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University in the political science department, and he founded a polling institute at Pace University. He is a graduate of Emory University and resides in New York City on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his wife, the Executive Editor of Seventeen Magazine, and son. He is also an ironman triathlete, marathoner and open-water swimmer, but mostly before his son was born. “American Enough” and MouthMedia Network do not necessarily support nor endorse any specific candidate for elected office.

Is America a land of abundance, or a place of scarcity? There are so many aspects of being human that can sometimes eclipse the notion of what it means to be a citizen. In this episode, we talk to Vikrum Aiyer. He’s VP of Global Public Policy at Postmates and Former Senior Advisor at the White House. He hosts American Enough, a weekly town hall-style podcast discussing current events and American ideals. When you think “American,” what comes to mind? Are you comfortable, or nervous? How do you participate in American life? And how can you participate more fully?

Fighting Family Separation at the Border… While The White House & Congress must act to rescind a policy of cruelty playing at on America’s border with family separation, a number of legal aid services are seeking donations, volunteers, and language experts throughout the country. Find out who needs what and where with this special list of resources compiled by Slate. ______________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough.“American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.

Bleeding America’s spirit of inclusivity… Immigrants seeking asylum at the US border are being separated from their children en masse due to new enforcement policies by the Department of Justice. But exactly how many kids can’t be accounted for is being inconsistently reported. The Intercept’s Debbie Nathan joins “American Enough” to clarify what is resulting in a mass separation of families, and how this is bleeding America’s spirit of inclusivity.Bio: Debbie Nathan is an investigative reporter for The Intercept. She lives in Brownsville, Texas, on the Mexico border, and has been writing about the border and immigration for over three decades. Those interested in following up with her directly about border patrol politics can email her directly at: naess2@gmail.com.  ______________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough.“American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.

Vogue Model, and Instagram celebrity, Richie Shazam Khan joins the pod for a reflection during PRIDE month on how gender non-conformity on the fashion runway has sparked a new brand of queer activism… Richie Shazam is an Artist, Curator and Model born in New York City and currently based between New York and Berlin. Recent and upcoming performances include “Love Me Installation” New Museum, NY NY (2017), “Blind Audition” at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2018), Zucca Project Space, Venice, Italy (2018), and “CELL ECHO”, Yuz Museum Shanghai (2018). Shazam’s artistic and curatorial approach investigates subversive radical queer ideologies by deconstructing antiquated notions of gender identity through text, photography and performance. Her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Novembre, Cultured Mag, Elephant Journal, i-D, Garage, amongst others. __________________________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough.“American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.  

At 4pm on June 4th, 2018  — a Monday — the White House issued a statement from the President, and it said: “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem. Hand on heart in honor of the great men and women of our military and people of our country.” To say nothing of the fact that the White House just issued a statement by the President in which he references himself in the third person, the statement actually sets off a new precedent for any Oval Office holder but frankly for the United States Constitution. The very notion of American identity has been rooted in dissent and free expression, in disagreeing with one’s neighbor, by having the right the ability and frankly the marketplace of ideas to have that conversation to debate it to engage in disagreement and to yell at one another — but knowing that the extent of one’s words stopped at the water’s edge of the end of that sentiment. It didn’t get quelled, didn’t get squashed, and get silenced and get banned. It didn’t get disinvited. The Philadelphia Eagles. It seems ironic — Philadelphia as the birthplace of democracy. The eagle as a national symbol. For a president to start allocating his measurement of who is or is not American enough — it’s not only dangerous, but it underscores the reason why this podcast is so important. __________________________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough.“American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.  

California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman discusses how the state of California’s primaries will shape the future of the nation and reclaim America’s identity…Polls open @ 7AM (find out where to vote here: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/where-and-how). GUEST BIO:  Eric C. Bauman was elected Chair of the California Democratic Party in May, 2017, having previously served as Vice Chair of the CDP (2009-2017). He previously served as Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the largest local Democratic Party organization in the nation, for 17 years.Eric has held various senior-level positions in California Government, including serving as Senior Advisor and Los Angeles Director of the Speakers Office of Members Services to Speakers John A. Perez, Toni Atkins and Anthony Rendon; Senior Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez; Senior Advisor to Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, Deputy Insurance Commissioner – overseeing the Community Relations Branch of the California Department of Insurance and as Special Assistant to Governor Gray Davis and Director of the Governor’s Los Angeles Regional Office. He retired from state service upon his election as Chair of the CDP. Eric is also Registered Nurse with graduate education in Health Care Administration. He spent many years in intensive care and trauma nursing before moving into hospital administration. In 1991, Eric co-founded a health care management consulting firm, Consultants in Nursing Services Administration, specializing in the administrative, staffing and information system needs of hospital nurses.He is a member of the NARAL Pro-Choice Privacy PAC, is the Vice Chair of the LA County Insurance Commission and is on the advisory board of the Medical Reserve Corps of Los Angeles and the LA County Voting Systems Assessment Project Advisory Committee. Until recently, he was on the board of Glendale Memorial Hospital and the Latino Coalition Against AIDS.Eric lives in North Hollywood with his husband of many years, Michael, his late mother’s partner Trisha, and his dog Moe.“American Enough” and MouthMedia Network do not necessarily support nor endorse any specific candidate for elected office.

The ACLU‘s Director the Racial Justice Program, Dennis Parker, reflects with host Vikrum Aiyer, on the 64th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the progress we’ve made in racial inclusion, and the setbacks we confront…Guest bio: Dennis Parker (@DennisDParker) is director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program, leading its efforts in combating discrimination and addressing other issues with a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Parker oversees work to combat the “School-to-Prison” pipeline, the profiling of airline passengers subjected to searches and wrongfully placed on watch lists and the racial bias in the criminal justice system. Prior to joining the ACLU, Parker was the chief of the Civil Rights Bureau in the Office of New York State Attorney General under Eliot Spitzer. He previously spent 14 years at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Parker has also worked with the New York Legal Aid Society. He teaches Race, Poverty and Constitutional Law at New York Law School. He graduated from Harvard Law School and Middlebury College. _________________________________________________________There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.  

What if the source of this polarization in our country had little to do with where people actually fall on the issues, or what people actually believe in? The Intercept’s Zaid Jilani joins the pod to unpack a new study that identifies how a team-sports mentality in America is wedging more of us against each other, rather than a division on ideas or policies. Mapping the evolution and rise of tribal sports in politics, Jilani highlights how our politics exploit this distinction between team & topic, and what that means for the day to day governance in our democracy. According to The Intercept, “Zaid Jilani is a journalist who hails from Atlanta, Georgia. He has previously worked as a reporter-blogger for ThinkProgress, United Republic, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Alternet. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and received his master’s in public administration from Syracuse University in 2014.” _________________________________________________________There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.  

Who is American Enough under this Administration? The Deputy Director of the ACLU, the actor & co-producer of the Netflix-distributed documentary “Meet the Patels”, and the nation’s youngest & openly gay mayor to be shortlisted as a presidential contender, all join Vikrum Aiyer on the podcast stage at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, to examine the American identity.Guest bios: Ravi Vasant Patel is an American actor, who recently wrote & directed with his sister, an award-winning autobiographical documentary (distributed by Netflix) Meet the Patels, which examines love & the South Asian immigrant. Fox Searchlight films are currently working with Ravi and his sister on a wide-screen release remake. He is a former investment banker; an Economics and International Studies double major graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill; and his work has been featured alongside Aziz Ansari & John Stamos.   Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a Harvard-educated Rhodes Scholar and Afghanistan War veteran who’s drawn national attention from media pundits and politicians since becoming the city’s leader at the age of 29 in 2011. He is rumored to be a presidential contender in 2024 but is presently on the path of becoming the 1st openly gay person ever to be elected to state office in Indiana.   Jaweer Brown is the Associate Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and has lead the rebranding,  corporate partnerships, and digital outreach overhauls for the ACLU since the election of Trump. She has historical lead reproductive rights campaigns for the ACLU, and lead similar campaigns for Planned Parenthood. She is the daughter of bi-racial parents; a graduate of UC Boulder, Yale, and Emory; was named by In-Style Magazine as one of the top women to watch shaping American life.  

When a successful entrepreneur steps into the political arena to reclaim American decency… What do Orange County, comedian Chelsea Handler, and Emily’s List all have in common? They are tectonic forces that are powering Rachel Payne‘s campaign in California’s 48th congressional district. Traditionally a Republican stronghold, Payne — a former philanthropist and entrepreneur — tells us why she is stepping out of private life and leaning into public life to reclaim American decency, stand up for Unions while advancing Tech, and put out a Congressman who has been tied to the Russian Government. Rachel Payne has built an exceptional career as a technology executive and entrepreneur, while actively involved in philanthropic activities. A recognized thought leader in the advancement of technology to reshape our world, she champions policies that make a meaningful place for everyone in the new economy. Payne was born in San Bernardino, California and grew up in a working-class family. When her family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, her father became a union operating engineer. After her parents were divorced, Payne’s mother worked multiple jobs to support her family as a single mom of three children. Payne won numerous scholarships, worked several part-time jobs and took out loans to become the first person in her family to go to college. She has lead teams at eBay, helped Google stand up its first philanthropic arm, and has also helped bring lines of credit to the rural poor in other parts of the world. There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. “American Enough” and MouthMedia Network do not necessarily support nor endorse any specific candidate for elected office.

What happens to faith in career civil servants and institutions when scandals hit public service?It’s easy to lose faith in public officials, political appointees, and inner aides to any President when you see a drip and drab of headlines, gossip, and resignations. On the heels of Trump’s 34th senior departure (in Gary Cohn), host Vikrum Aiyer reflects on his own missteps as a political appointee, and describes how trust in public service and institutions should not be lost due to the tireless Career Civil Servants we never hear about in the headlines but still show up to work every day regardless of who’s  president.______________________________________________________________Join Vikrum Aiyer when he takes the South by Southwest stage March 11th, 2018. Open to all badgeholders, the SXSW Podcast Stage will host up to 36 podcasts as diverse and varied as the crowd at SXSW.  Click here for more details.There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office.

How do you represent your community in Washington, when it’s been said that Washington stopped representing the people a long time ago? Sam Jammal, the son of Arab and Latino immigrants, and candidate for Congress in southern California’s 39th congressional district, joins the pod to discuss why running for something can help restore our trust and values in the American Dream. Jammal is a lawyer and candidate for Orange County’s 39th Congressional District. As the son of Latino and Arab American immigrant parents who came to this country to work hard and build a better life, Sam worked his way through high school, college and law school. He has spent his entire career fighting to improve his community and is committed to building a better future for the next generation. Sam most recently worked as a Manager and Attorney at Tesla and, before that, as a Director at SolarCity. Prior to joining the clean energy movement, Sam was a Chief of Staff in Congress and served in the Obama Administration as a presidential appointee at the Department of Commerce. Sam began his career as a civil rights attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. ______________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast. “American Enough” and MouthMedia Network do not necessarily support nor endorse any specific candidate for elected office.

Bending the arc of social justice through story telling… When statements of American values and principles get boiled down to bumper stickers, sound bytes, or 140-character quips, the moral clarity of what we stand for can quickly get lost. For film maker and media strategist Frank Chi, video content still remains the preeminent way we can learn about one another, share stories, bring art and design to animate discussion around some of the most vexing challenges of our generation. With work featured by the NY Times and Rolling Stone Magazine, his most recent film, produced with comedian Hassan Minaj and the Smithsonian Institution, Chi reflects upon the immigrant experience as told through the 1946 novel “America is in the Heart.” ​​Through the power of film, Chi reflects upon how story telling can bend the long arc of justice in the United States. _________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast.

Fake news: How do journalists do their work, when the very concept of a free press gets attacked for being fake, daily? POLITICO reporter and Playbook co-author, Daniel Lippman, and long time contributor to TIME, Bloomberg, VICE Media and the NYDaily news, Timothy Burger, join the podcast to discuss how the identity of America’s free press is being shaped in an era where the truthiness of sourcing is challenged by the Oval Office. Daniel Lippman is a reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics. He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time. Timothy Burger is the Chief Executive of Plumb Concepts Consulting, and a freelance journalist, who has covered the White House and Congress for outlets ranging from VICE Media, Roll Call, TIME, Bloomberg, Town & Country Magazine, and the NY Daily News. He graduated from Dartmouth College and lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Kiki and their newborn Dahl. __________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast.

What happens when a spy for the CIA & national security advisor doesn’t like their boss — the President of the United States? In the case of Ned Price, he quit. Like many patriots who serve clandestine roles for our nation’s defense, military, and national security apparatus — Ned was trained to quarterback the play a coach called, regardless of party or politics. But within the first few months of this Administration, everything from our National Security Advisor resigning, to the fumbling of security clearances, to bombastic cuts to our diplomatic core started retooling the way America’s bravest intelligence officers were able to represent our values overseas. Ned Price, now an NBC commentator and Fellow at the New America Foundation, breaks down the risk North Korea, Russia, and our president’s tweets have on the perception of America’s security strength overseas. ____________________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast.

Net neutrality with Ambassador Daniel Sepulveda…Does the Internet need rules? From AOL instant messenger to Sunday night’s with Netflix to Twitter trolls — the world wide web has facilitated everything from global trade and dating to a modern information revolution. For many, it’s even shaped our perception of cultures in the world around us.But if the Internet is part of your identity — membership is about to get a lot more expensive. New “net neutrality” rules governing how to access content online are being proposed by President Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC). And Ambassador Daniel Sepulveda, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US State Department, weighs in on how Internet technologies and the rules that govern them are shaping how America’s identity is exported the world._____________________________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast. ​

How theater questions political and ideological assumptions, with playwright Dan Hoyle … At a time where SNL, Late Night talkshows, and Broadway shows like Hamilton use comedy and ensemble casts to deliver biting commentary on culture and politics — award winning playwright Dan Hoyle takes a different approach: he likes to get lost in the middle of the country first. Hoyle boards trains, drives aimlessly in a van, and gets on planes to stop off in cities he’s never heard of — and to meet strangers, gigolos, racists, neighbors, churchgoers, and citizens in the heartland of the country. By spending time in scores of cities, Dan Hoyle has not only met hundreds of citizens in the heartland of what Sarah Palin famously referred to as “Real America” but he has created an award winning play about them too. Wedding satire, with an earnest examination of the stereotypes and values liberals often ascribe to those in the flyover states, “The Real Americans” prompts theatergoers question their assumptions about the other side of the ideological divide. Hear more shows from MouthMedia Network powered by Sennheiser at www.mouthmedianetwork.com ____________________________________________________ There’s a lot going on in America (and the world) and Vikrum Aiyer — Former White House Senior Economic Policy Advisor (Obama Administration) and Former Chief of Staff of the United States Patent and Trademark Office — has something to say about it all and about what it takes these days to be American enough. “American Enough™ with Vikrum Aiyer”, is a weekly, town hall-style podcast discussing your questions and comments about current events, politics, and American ideals. As events unfold, Vikrum will share timely commentary wherever he is, as he travels, between meetings, and even en route to the office. If political commentary, having your say, and America matter to you — you’re going to love this podcast.

How is American Identity shaped, when you grow up here — and succeed here — yet still get asked “where you’re from”?New York Times best-selling author Julie Lythcott-Haims joins American Enough to discuss how skin color, values, and tough truths about our nation have shaped what it means to be a Real American.As the descendant of slave owners and the daughter of a bi-racial marriage, Julie often states that she’s So American It Hurts. In her most recent book, she highlights the racism, the micro-agressions and dominant narratives which shape the virtues of citizenship and identity in the United States. Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the best-selling book r Success (2015)and Real American: A Memoir (2017). She is deeply interested in what prevents people from living meaningful, fulfilling lives.New York Times How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid fo How to Raise an Adult emerged from Julie’s decade as Stanford University’s Dean of Freshmen, where she was known for her fierce advocacy for young adults and her critique of the growing trend of parental involvement in the day-to-day lives of college students. She received the university’s Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for creating “atmosphere that defines the undergraduate experience, and toward the end of her tenure as dean she began speaking and writing widely on the harm of helicopter parenting. has been published in over two dozen countries and gave rise to a TED talk that became one of the top TED Talks of 2016 as well as a sequel which will be out in 2018.the” How to Raise an Adult  Real details Julie’s personal battle with the low self-esteem that American racism routinely inflicts on people of color. The child of an African-American father and a white British mother, Julie shows how microaggressions in addition to blunt-force insults can puncture a person’s inner life with a thousand sharp cuts.  expresses also, through Julie’s path to self-acceptance, the healing power of community in overcoming the hurtful isolation of being incessantly considered “the other.” AmericanReal American Julie is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Law School, and California College of the Arts. She lives in Silicon Valley with her partner of over twenty five years, their two teenagers, and her mother.

Do The Words A President Uses Really Matter?Former Obama Speech Writer, and CNN Reporter, Aneesh Raman joins American Enough for a discussion on how words can shape the heartbeat of the country and inform the trust American’s have for the White House. From his time covering presidents, to writing for them, to leveraging technology for a new-media revolution, Aneesh opines on the challenges that presidential rhetoric are presenting to everything from childhood education to cultural identity to consumer consumptions. leads civic engagement & partnerships at Facebook. Previously he was a Vice President at Raise.me, a technology startup focused on expanding access to higher education in America.[1] Aneesh RamanPrior to joining Raise.me, Raman was Vice President of Marketing and Communications at OZY Media,[2] a new media company backed by a number of high-profile investors including Laurene Powell Jobs, Larry Sonsini, David Drummond (Google), Dan Rosensweig and Ron Conway. Before OZY, Raman was a domestic policy speechwriter to the President of the United StatesBarack Obama, making him the c.[3][4] Raman came to the White House after working at the United States Department of Defense and at the Treasury Department, where he was speechwriter to Treasury SecretaryTimothy Geithner during a historic global financial crisis.[5] Raman began his career as an award-winning CNN war correspondent and the network’s first correspondent based in the Middle East responsible for region-wide coverage.ountry’s first Indian-American Presidential SpeechwriterA graduate of Harvard College and a former Fulbright scholar, Raman is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations[6] and a member of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library‘s New Frontier Award Committee.[7]

Former John McCain Presidential Campaign Senior Strategist Steve Schmidt on messages of division… In a discussion about trust in American institutions, Russia meddling, and how we counter messages of division — American Enough is joined by Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, and former senior strategist to the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain & Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. He is currently a political analyst for MSNBC, and has appeared frequently on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. (profile)

Why President Trump’s statements on NFL player protests are not American enough… In the last 24 hours. President Trump has criticized members and players of the National Football League who refuse to stand for the National Anthem all while dumping on NBA Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry as well as NBA star LeBron James. Wouldn’t you love to see one of these owners of the NFL Trump decried when somebody disrespects our flag to get that son of the bitch off the field right now? Tell him he’s fired. These were our president’s exact words to considerable applause from an overwhelmingly white crowd. Total disrespect of our heritage, President Trump said, a total disrespect of everything that we stand for everything that we stand for. President Trump said. As though the individuals that choose to exercise their right to free speech and their ability to captivate an entire audience and encourage them to think about some harsh words that have been clouding the climate of racial equality in this country as though they themselves do not stand for the same heritage of our country. President Trump we have an ability to stitch together the moral authority of this country to be the best type of American we can ever be one who stands for purpose one who welcomes those from all backgrounds and one who actually recognizes and honors the institution of the White House to be a force for good rather than a force for division. And when you have individuals who otherwise don’t fixate or focus on the policy or political rhetoric of our day but rather the grip of a football in their hands —  when you have those individuals that choose to speak out call attention to some issue and captivate their whole base of fan followers Instagram friends Facebook likes  — all of them to start thinking about challenging issues social issues that construct the American identity to call them out and say that they do not stand for the same heritage that you and I have been privileged to experience in our time as citizens of this country is not American enough and it does not value the institution of this White House. Instead it starts to erode the moral authority in which we no longer welcome an individual to exercise his or her’s right. The First Amendment right to civic disobedience means that we do not welcome an institution in which anyone who pooh-poohs the standing of this president or wants to call on issues that are uncomfortable or maybe wants to call out a stance that maybe this administration disagrees with —  it means that we no longer welcome them inside the White House. But a reminder to every employee at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue —  that’s the people’s house. The ability to come there and go there yes is curated perhaps by your team and your staff and vetted and verified by the Secret Service to come in. But the ability to actually inform what that house look like looks like, what it means, what it stands for. That is an American effort  — not solely the right of the 4000 employees of your West Wing. On Saturday morning President President Trump actually tweeted to NBA star Steph Curry saying that going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. And this was in regards to the NBA ballplayer saying that he was a little hesitant about wanting to go for a variety of reasons — most notably recent comments made almost condoning the actions of neo-Nazis that showed up in Charlottesville just a few weeks ago. But when President Trump continued to tweet about the matter he disinvited the player which then stoked some follow on response from NBA superstar LeBron James and he continued to say that everyone should stand for a national anthem and everyone should continue to, you know, make sure that they leave politics off the field. So these players only hit back and then he hit back. This back and forth repertoire is not uncommon under this administration. And while I genuinely believe to all of our listeners here at American Enough that there are far more pressing matters in this country matters of health care urgent matters affecting the global stage in the way that we’re ratcheting up the rhetoric with North Korea —  matters of making sure that our working class and our middle class has access to their needs. All of these matters are very very very very important for our consideration and they extend far beyond the consideration of culture wars being stoked by an individual president. But at the end of the day we have to be mindful of what’s happening here. We have a president that’s using the moral authority of his office  — of our office, the people’s office, the Oval Office — to start calling people in the NFL. A majority of whom are black Americans who captivate the imagination of not only aspiring kids who want to play on the field but also fans that are looking to unwind and cheer on a common theme and a common team calling them sons of bitches, telling owners to kick them off the field, simply because they are taking a stance . All while condemning them for not acknowledging the same heritage that we all know that we’ve shared together and we’ve been formed together  — that is a very dangerous thing. And while health care deserves our attention, the middle class, simplifying our tax code, making sure our teachers have the right resources in the classroom —  while all of those are really really critical matters. This can’t be ignored because the very concept of a notion that in some way exercising your First Amendment right disrespects heritage foregoes the fact that even if we lived in a colorblind society this would be anything less than dangerous. Our brave soldiers, they don’t fight and die so everyone has to stand during the anthem. Frankly they were out there battling enemies that disagree with an open and free and transparent democracy so people can have the choice and the right to make a choice about how they want to express their sentiment. That is the most American way. That is the most American attitude one in which we are allowed to make clear that our sensibility our  patriotism, our ability to be uniquely American, is that we can speak out and draw attention to issues that may arise discomfort  — so we don’t live in a colorblind society. Slavery sets in the founding roots of America and the goal of racial equality means a goal. It is not an achievement. It is a fluid point that continues to be a shifting target not just informed by this administration but rather the notion of our entire history and brick by brick. We try, as President Obama would often say, to make a more perfect union but that continues to bend over time  — and that does not just rest on the shoulders of Donald Trump or Barack Obama or any president we’ve had or any leader or Black Lives Matter or any neo-Nazi. That responsibility didn’t form that entire debate rests squarely with us. The people the Americans who are bold enough to take a stance and speak out and say a few things and say things that are on their mind. Now of course there may be plenty of individuals out there who can rationalize the fact that keeping politics off of the field making sure that a pure sport. Making sure that our kids can show up and they can show up encouraged to play encouraged to work hard to learn lessons of teamwork. They don’t need to be sullied or dilute that experience doesn’t need to be diluted with political rhetoric. And you know what. That’s an understandable argument but at the end of the day the reason this matters is because the argument needs to be had. But the argument is not coming with the right sense of moral authority from the one place who is who institutionally is best equipped to manage that argument. And that’s from the White House. This coded language in which we tell a majority of athletes who happen to be black that play in a certain league that they don’t share common heritage is awful. It is also a simplistic —  stunningly simplistic —  view of this community. And in saying that you don’t belong or you shouldn’t be doing this or you should be fired or you’re not welcome in the White House. Well that is a perturbing notion that Americans have to act a certain way and that in order to be qualifiably encouraged to play on the football field or in order to be you know qualified enough to walk into the White House. You have to agree with one man and one man’s views alone no American enough as a podcast doesn’t want to pooh pooh the ability to have this discussion the discussion which is rooted in the sentiment of not only the first amendment but what are some tragic realities when it comes to underserved and minority communities and their access to health care or what are some tragic realities when it comes to this community and their ability to grow within the middle class. These are real issues that demand real attention. But what that attention is is a very smart sober clear eyed leader coming to the table with disparate stakeholders having a conversation making sure that we’re working through these policy issues and not calling individual kids who were doing that, working their hardest every Sunday and every Monday and throughout the season, sons of bitches that is not an appropriate use of the bully pulpit Mr. President. And in fact when you say that these individuals are not American enough to be invited into the White House that it’s a sacred institution? I too worked in that same White House, Mr. President I’ve had colleagues and friends and family that I’ve worked in that White House, Mr. President. They were all American enough and they may not disagree. They may not agree with you day to day. They may disagree with you day to day and they may even agree with you on certain occasions but this is the concept of our democracy and this is the concept of our core citizenship and identity. We have to be able to inform our collective outputs and outcomes look like not just you. That’s not what the White House is for and to erode that moral authority for the same kid that you want to see be inspired by the hard work and teamwork and determination of a football player and not his or her thoughts on American politics for the same kid that you want to look out for so they grow up with access to the most opportunities. It’s also not American enough for you to use that rhetoric for you to scold and chill First Amendment debates. And for you to ignore the very very core of why these individuals are protesting in the first place because that doesn’t inspire that kid to think about the world in any different way than what and the way that you want him to think of it. The concept of racial identity extends far beyond just this president but this president has done very little to ease concerns about those racial views. And as protests in recent days have turned violent this president has claimed that there were many. There’s a lot of blame to go around. There is no doubt that for every argument there’s multiple sides of that same story and there is no doubt that culpability can be owned by multiple actors in any instance of protests or argumentation. But to not vehemently pooh-pooh condemn not stand for and declare to the nation and the world that you will not tolerate anyone that stands up for racial injustice hate and bigotry only allows that same kid that you want to be inspired every Sunday when the NFL plays to also think that that hate and bigotry on the classroom or the playground or on the football field is OK. And when you start inspiring a nation of individuals who think it is fine for someone to say whatever comes to mind even when it’s hate even when there’s no strategy to the comments  — when that becomes OK then that shared heritage that you are so proudly trying to defend gets stripped away and every stripe on that flag that you’re trying to stand for starts chipping off. We have to build a more perfect union and we do that, yes, by showing up to game day and putting our arms over one another’s shoulders and having a beer with someone regardless of their background creed or religion because we share in common enjoyment of a game. It also starts by making sure around that same shoulder we can have a frank discussion and a heart to heart conversation about what’s wrong with our backgrounds and our communities. That is what the American ideal is. It’s not silence — it’s transparent ownership of the fact that there are real challenges ahead. And that’s what America has done so brilliantly. It would be a damn shame if we felt that we could all of a sudden disenfranchise an entire community of citizens who are being strong civic patriots by speaking out being mindful of an issue and encouraging others to do the same as being anything less than American.  

Vikrum Aiyer former Chief of Staff at the US Patent & Trademark Office, and current Head of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at Postmates joins the pod to talk about his new podcast “American Enough.”...

Welcome to Episode 010: Where we interview Enye, Danett Hernandez, and her husband Miles Wartes - both actors who were in the controversial Coca-Cola Superbowl commercial  "America is Beautiful" in 2014...